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Informist, Monday, Jun. 29, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – The average monthly earnings in cities with a population higher than 1 million were higher than in the rest of urban India across all employment categories, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. A self-employed worker aged 15 years and above earned INR 30,858 in the last 30 days in cities with a population of more than one million, much higher than INR 23,013 in the rest of urban India, data released Monday by the ministry showed.

 

In million-strong cities, regular salaried employees had average monthly earnings of INR 28,808 in 2025 while casual labour earned INR 624 per day. In the rest of urban India, salaried employees earned INR 26,258 a month and casual labour earned INR 550 daily, the ministry said.

 

"Earning levels in million-plus cities were higher than those in urban India across all employment categories," the ministry said in a press note. The average nominal earnings from self-employment, regular wage or salaried employment, and casual labour in cities with million-plus populations were 34.1%, 9.7%, and 13.5% higher, respectively, than the corresponding levels observed in the rest of urban India, it added.

 

In million-strong cities, 24.3% of workers were engaged in public or private limited companies whereas only 17.2% of the population in the rest of urban India is engaged in public or private limited companies, according to the report.

 

This is the first annual survey on 46 million-plus cities--cities with a population of one million or more as per Census 2011--based on the Periodic Labour Force Survey 2025 and the Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises 2025. The ministry has released these reports with the aim of providing a comprehensive picture of urban labour markets and enterprise dynamics.

 

The unemployment rate was almost the same in both million-strong cities and the rest of urban India. The unemployment rate was 4.9% under usual status, slightly higher than 4.8% in the rest of urban India. The unemployment rate was 6.8% under the current weekly status approach in both categories, as per the report.

 

Across the broad status of employment, both male and female workers in million-strong cities reported higher average hours of work than workers in the rest of urban India.

 

Gross value added per worker in million-strong cities was INR 211,433 for market establishments, higher than INR 180,177 in other urban areas, the data showed. Pimpri Chinchwad in Maharashtra, Greater Hyderabad in Telangana, and Delhi recorded the highest gross value added per worker.

 

Gross value added per establishment in cities with a million-plus population was INR 417,012 for market establishments, higher than INR 323,945 in other urban areas. Faridabad in Haryana, Pimpri Chinchwad, and Greater Hyderabad were the top three million-strong cities in terms of gross value added per establishment.

 

Workers in million-strong cities showed higher productivity levels, as measured by gross value added per worker and gross value added per establishment, than in other urban areas, the ministry said. "This underscores the role of large urban centres as hubs of economic activity, enterprise growth, and value creation," it said.

 

Kolkata in West Bengal, Surat in Gujarat, and Greater Hyderabad were the top three cities with entrepreneurial activity, according to the report. These cities jointly accounted for more than 22% of the total estimated establishments across all million-strong cities.

 

The report on the unincorporated enterprise landscape based on Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises 2025 data provides valuable insights into the scale, composition and economic significance of enterprises operating across these cities through a set of carefully selected indicators, the ministry said.

 

These 46 cities with a population of more than 1 million account for about 13% of the establishments, 16% of the workers, and 21% of the gross value added of the unincorporated non-agricultural sector.  End

 

Reported by Shweta

Edited by Rajeev Pai

 

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